Chatting with Chad, COVID-19

your well-being, and that of our employees, is our utmost concern. We hope you’ve taken appropriate precautions and our hearts go out to anyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 virus. The spread of the virus, and its effect on daily life, is rapidly evolving and we want you to know that we are actively assessing potential impacts on agriculture. We are aware there have been instances where COVID-19 has impacted agriculture operations around the state and we want you to know that we are actively working to address those challenges and concerns. We have been in contact with our congressional delegation, state agencies and the Governor’s office and are closely monitoring the situation. If you experience a COVID-19 related difficulty, please let us know as soon as possible so we can direct resources to that issue.

On the national level, AFBF President Zippy Duvall is coordinating with United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to ensure that agriculture is on the list of essential services. This will help mitigate impacts of local laws such as curfews and limitations on crowd sizes as it relates to agricultural activities. USDA has assured the ag community that inspectors will be available for slaughterhouses and food processing facilities. President Trump has already lifted several trucking regulations, allowing goods to travel more freely. Regarding the suspension of H-2A visa interviews by some consulates, USDA directly engaged with the State Department and the resultant negotiation allows returning H-2A workers to receive an interview waiver. NMF&LB is vested in working with local, state and national partners in protecting the agricultural supply chain from seed to harvest to processing.

In regards to the NMF&LB state office, we are taking precautionary measures and will continue to closely monitor the situation. We are all prepared to move all interaction online should this become necessary. There are multiple ways to contact us including phone, text and email messages. As always, we are here to serve you and in these challenging times we are proud to stand alongside you in protecting our ag community. You are so much more than a member, you are a member of our family and your health and safety remain our top priority.

Please join us in praying for our fellow farmers and ranchers, our nation’s first responders, and our dedicated health care workers. Thank you for being a valued NMF&LB member.